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James Caan, an onscreen tough guy and movie craftsman, has died at 82

James Caan on the set of the 1975 film <em>Rollerball</em>.
John Downing
/
Getty Images
James Caan on the set of the 1975 film Rollerball.

James Edmund Caan was a playful kid from the Bronx, the son of German-Jewish immigrants who grew up to play tough movie guys: sailors, football players, gangsters and was one of the most recognizable screen actors of his era.

He died on July 6, according to a post on his official Twitter account. No further details were available.

Caan received a 1973 Oscar nomination for his explosive turn as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and a 1972 Emmy nomination for portraying the title role in the film Brian's Song. He lent his tightly-wound sense of masculinity to numerous renowned films of his era, ranging from E.T. to Misery to Funny Lady to Elf.

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Corrected: July 7, 2022 at 12:00 AM EDT
An earlier version of this story said James Caan was in the film ET. The actor in that film was James Kahn.
Bob Mondello reviews movies and covers the arts for NPR and shares critiques and commentaries on NPR's award-winning newsmagazine All Things Considered.
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